I Shall Not Live in Vain...

One of my favorite writers is Emily Dickinson. I can't say that she's my favorite poet, because in all honesty, I don't read that much poetry to have a "favorite".
In that sense, I guess you could say she's my fave. But anyways.
Incidentally, I'm also named after her (and one of my dad's aunts, but my mom came up with the idea).

My favorite poem written by Dickinson is this:

"If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain."

I've always had a heart for helping things. Animals, plants, people, you name it. When I was little, I used to collect and raise the eggs and caterpillars of some butterflies that I found out were endangered so I could try to help repopulate them. I wanted to be a veterinarian, then a physical therapist, and finally I found my calling in health and nutrition. People tend to ask me now, "don't nutritionists like, make a lot of money? You can be a celebrity coach!"

Yeah, I could.

Or I could help people who actually need it, like a family who can't afford healthy food or the sick people in hospitals who don't know how to start their new lifestyle, or the girl in the outpatient program for eating disorders who insists that she's not beautiful or worth anything.

This doesn't just apply to my career, though. I (and you!) should be striving every day to ease the burden of someone else. We all have our problems, but we can also use those problems to help others through their own. We all know what pain and suffering and fear feels like, so why are we so often indifferent towards others'?

One of the reasons I'm so super-stoked about my new job at Dutch Bros. is the company's whole mission: to love people! I'm literally going to get paid to make people's days just that much brighter. But regardless of whether I'm being paid or not, I want to reflect positivity and joy into others' lives.

This week, I'm challenging myself to start a new habit brightening someone's day, every day. I challenge you to do the same! It doesn't have to be a grand gesture; it can be as small as smiling at a stranger or paying for someone else at the coffee stand. Don't do it for recognition or because you think you'll get some "good karma". Do it to be kind. Do it to be loving and genuine.

I helped my littlest brother with his homework today, something that I'm not usually around to be able to do.

I think you'll find that as you shine some light into others' lives, you might just find your own brightening, too.

Don't live in vain.

Ephesians 2:10
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

A Few Updates...

You may notice, if you've ever been here before, that I've changed the name of my blog. When I first started, I focused only on food. Thus, "Food From Thought" made sense. Now, however, I've branched out and widened my horizons to include fitness and other health-related things. There will still be an emphasis on food and nutrition, because, well, that's what my life is about! But I also think it will be fun to share some of my workouts and other thoughts on health-related topics, as well!

It's been a busy semester, so here are some updates on my life (see: excuses for not writing on my blog):

• I got an internship through school with the Department of Education! I've been working in their Health and Nutrition department, helping them with their breakfast in the classroom program, and learning about the national school lunch program. I've definitely been learning a lot, and find it interesting to learn about school nutrition (it's really not as evil as all of the documentaries make you think)!
• I'm moving this summer (or at the end of summer)! So look forward to some cost-effective "meals for one/two" recipes in the future.
• I'm [hopefully] going to be signing up for another open water swim this summer! Not as epic as Alcatraz, but Lake Pleasant has its own (not-so) charming eeriness to it!
• I've finally come out of the prehistoric ages and gotten an iPhone.
• So follow me on Instagram for tasty food pics and other stuff: @EmilyRebekahh

You can also look forward to:

Strength-training workouts, cross-training workouts, nutrition and health news, and more good stuff, so please stick around!

4 Ways to Veg Out

For some people, eating straight vegetables is tough. You might be one of these people. Perhaps you find yourself bored of the same old vegetables, verging on becoming a vegetable yourself. Then again, the taste may not be to your liking, or maybe it's the texture. I personally have never had any of these problems aside from the being bored out of my mind part, but several members of my family certainly have. In fact, my youngest brother claims that he can still taste the tomato on a sandwich even after it's been removed. Future husband (haha.) beware, because if you're picky or a proud carnivore, I've got some tricks up my sleeve ;)

Blend 'em up and hide 'em in things
Whether they're carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, or any other vegetable, blend them up and use them as a thickener or flavoring for sauces and stews. You still get all of the benefits of the whole vegetable, you just can't see them. Put the pulp of carrots or other "pulpy" vegetables (shoot, you can even use apple pulp) into ground meat for burgers or meatloaf. This is perfect for picky eaters and kids.

Use them as replacements for grains
My mom's digestive system is really messed up, so she has to eat gluten free. Over the years, I've come up with ways to "recreate" some of our favorite meals without using products with gluten (or any other flour products for that matter). Making quiche using thinly-sliced potatoes as the crust is great, and sort of reminiscent of scalloped potatoes, without all of the fat. You can also use spaghetti squash as a replacement for spaghetti. Go Italian and use thinly sliced eggplant or zucchini in the place of lasagna noodles.

Replace "traditional" fats with them
I'm sure you've heard of the whole banana ice cream with one ingredient (spoiler alert: it's bananas) and applesauce in cake. But you can also blend up avocados with a little lime juice and use them to replace mayonnaise in chicken or tuna salad, or on sandwiches as a spread. I also love making chocolate frosting and mousse out of avocados.

Marinate them
This is less "hiding" them and more transforming them. A little vinegar and some spices (try to avoid salt, as pickling brines can make vegetables super high in sodium very easily) go a long way. I've just recently gotten in to using this type of technique in my food, inspired by Asian fusion cuisine. I just love the little sides of spicy, freshly-pickled cucumber slices or tangy-sweet slaws that come with barbecue and soups. Some rice wine vinegar, chili flakes, and a twist of lime are all you need to make a simple, tasty marinade.

What do you do to transform fruits and vegetables to include more of them in your diet? Let me know, because I always love new ideas!

Also, follow me on Twitter for more recipes and health tips at @EmRSullivan, #foodfromthought!

National Diabetes Awareness Month

No recipes today! It's National Diabetes Awareness Month, and with that, I'd like to put the focus on a part of diabetes that people aren't quite so aware of.
Diabulimia.
As a dietetics student, I have only heard of this eating disorder (currently categorized as an eating disorder not otherwise specified - EDNOS) twice. It was on a British TV show I was interested in for a while, and in another video we watched in a nutrition therapy class at school. No one else in the class had heard of it before then.
Diabulimia is exactly what it sounds like: diabetes and bulimia combined. People affected by diabulimia are those suffering from Type 1 diabetes.
Here's a basic rundown of what type 1 diabetes is: the body does not produce insulin, or it may not produce enough. Insulin is a hormone which picks up the sugars in your blood after you eat, delivering it to your liver and muscles to be processed or stored. That's why on TV, when you see a character with diabetes, they talk about "insulin shots". Since the body can't make its' own, it must be put there through a shot or a monitor. You can find more information on Type 1 as well as Type 2 diabetes here.
So where does the bulimia come in? Why is it called 'diabulimia'? Isn't bulimia the same for everybody?
In general Bulimia nervosa, the sufferer binges and purges - they eat a lot, then get rid of it by throwing up, taking laxatives, or exercising more than is considered healthy (in some cases, 8 or more hours per day). With diabulimics, it is the same basic concept: they still eat, but they also still lose weight. Diabulimics typically only eat foods containing carbohydrates, the body's source of sugars. With no insulin to pick up that sugar and store in the body's tissues, it just gets peed out. No storage = no weight gain.
The dangers of skipping insulin include thirst, fainting, blurred vision which eventually progresses into permanent blindness, coma, and even death among numerous other harmful outcomes.
This is the video I watched that first informed me of this little-known disorder:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rs-g3fJJS8&t=40m39s

It's tragic, but a very real problem. Fortunately, it has been being recognized much more in recent media.

On the topic of eating disorders, I've decided that from here on out, I will no longer be posting the calorie content of my recipes. I had begun to cater to what I call "pinterest trends" in the way of blog content (basically: weightlossweightlossweightloss) to try to get more exposure to my blog, but I've begun to realize that in doing so, I've counteracted the ideas of health that I've been trying to convey in my posts. Though there aren't many people who read this blog, I don't want my blog to contain unnecessary triggers for those with or recovering from eating disorders. My blog is a health blog. I believe that there is more to health than weight, and that the nutrient content of a food is far more important than the calorie content. I want my emphasis to be on physical activity, lots of nutrients, and living a satisfactory, physically AND mentally well lifestyle. I will still be posting recipes, as well as nutritional information such as vitamins and minerals, as well as exercise tips and general fun health stuff.
If anyone would like to know the amount of calories in my recipes, there are plenty of websites and apps that you can plug recipes into to find out those numbers.
Also, my birthday is tomorrow!
Woo-oo-oo!

National Pumpkin Day Smoothie

Today is National Pumpkin Day! In honor of this beloved Jack-O-Lantern of all trades (sorry, I couldn't resist...), I present you with:

Fist-Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
(So good your brain will scramble and reduce you to a state of uncontrollable fist-pumping)

Makes 4 - 12 oz. servings

1 - 16 oz. can of pumpkin puree (just plain old puree!)
2-3 medium (5-6" long) bananas, frozen
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup fat-free or low-fat milk (substitute with almond milk for vegan option)
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey (optional, but I like things sweet)
1 cup ice

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy! I used Trader Joe's cinnamon sugar grinder to add a little topping to mine :)

This delicious smoothie packs in about 250% of your daily recommended amount of Vitamin A. Your eyes will thank you, as will your waistline, since each serving (WITH sweetener) has only about 190 calories. Leaving out the sweetener, since ripe bananas are sweet enough to pass as ice cream all on their own, makes this treat only 144 calories.

Compare that with 350 calories in a slice of pumpkin pie, without whipped cream! Not to mention that 350 calorie slice is only a little bit more than 1" wide.

Compare THAT with Jamba Juice's (which, I'll be honest, inspired me to make my own home-made pumpkin smoothie) Pumpkin Smash: 390 calories, and only 40% vitamin A!

So, yeah. Make this instead.
Or you can fist-pump away all of the holiday weight you put on eating all manner of pumpkin-spice-latte-soup-accino-smoothie pies.
Or, you know, just enjoy all those things anyways...in moderation!
;)

Butternuts! About Fall

As I sit here, relieved that at least I've finished my chemistry prelab, with butternut squash boiling away on the stove in a concoction of cinnamon, chicken stock, and milk, and slightly cooler weather than usual outside, it's obvious that my favorite season, fall, is here at last. And, as you're probably aware, with fall comes warm, toasty, aromatic foods like soup, roasts, pies, and crumbles. Squash, root vegetables, apples, plums, and more are abundant at farmers markets as well as the grocery store, and I love it.
Of course, there are things I definitely dislike about Autumn. School starts, and 40 hours of work and 17 credits at school are not a happy mix, unlike pumpkin pie spice and lattes. I'm trying to save money this year by packing more lunches and dinners from home, but I can only live on PB&Js and salads for so long. My friends think I'm weird for it, but I literally get bored of food if I eat a certain type too often. So, using one of the butternut squashes my dear, sweet southern grandmother gave us a few weeks ago, I'm sharing three recipes that incorporate the hallmark squash of fall.

Butternut Squash Soup
Delicious all on its' own, or with a grilled slice of sourdough bread and a fresh salad on the side.

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup organic milk
1 cup organic chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup water
1/4 cup onions, sauteed
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 leaves fresh sage (optional)
1/2 tsp. olive oil

Place squash, milk, stock, water, and spices into a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile, chop up about half of a small onion and saute it in a little olive oil until slightly browned. Once squash is fork-tender, remove pot from heat and add onions. Allow to cool slightly before blending with an immersion blender or food processor. Garnish with fresh chopped sage. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Chili with Butternut Squash 
Perfect for days when you're short on time. Full of fresh vegetables and plant-based proteins to keep you full, warm, and energized.

1 cup butternut squash, roasted and diced
1 small red onion
3 small sweet peppers
2 roma tomatoes
1 ear corn (about 1/2 cup kernels)
1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup lentils
1/4 cup wheat berries or brown rice
2 tbsp chickpeas
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder (or to taste)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
shredded cheese (optional)

Soak beans, lentils, and chikpeas overnight. Drain, and add to crock pot with wheat berries or rice. Dice all vegetables and place in crock pot, excluding squash. Add seasonings and cover with 1/2 vegetable stock 1/2 water. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 3-4. If liquid becomes too low, add just enough to cover ingredients. Enjoy with shredded cheese or diced green onion.

Butternut Squash Waffles

My personal favorite, a delicious way to add some vegetables to breakfast :) Recipe adapted from the Amish Country Cookbook, Volume 2.

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup butternut squash, roasted or boiled and mashed
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 eggs, separated


Beat egg yolks, add milk, and beat for 1 minute. Sift together dry ingredients and add to the yolk/milk mixture. Mix in squash. Beat egg whites until stiff, and fold into batter. Dollop batter onto hot waffle iron for about 5 minutes, or until steam stops and waffles are golden brown and crispy.

Serve with warm (real) maple syrup and toasted pecans. Fresh plum or pear also goes well with these.

Anxie-Tea and Smoothie

I'm going to be a little bit serious today.
At the risk of sounding like a hypochondriac, I've decided that I have a problem with anxiety. I don't know if it's GAD, or chronic anxiety, or just a tendency towards being anxious about things, but I do know that ever since I was very young, I would go through periods where I literally couldn't sleep all night because I couldn't stop thinking and worrying, and I still do from time to time. It isn't so much the thoughts as it is just the physical reactions I experience that make it hard to sleep. Prayer and reading my Bible are two things I've always gone to first when I feel anxious about anything, and I have a peace of mind in that even if my body is still spazzing out.

I try to use as few drugs as possible, so rather than trying out over-the-counter sleeping pills or anxiety medications, or recreational drugs for that matter, I started drinking chamomile tea before bed. It actually did help, whether the effects were real or just placebo. Who cares? It helped. I also noticed that once I started taking hemp or flax seed oil to get more Omega-3 and -6 fats I had an easier time sleeping and less days where I felt too jittery to eat and less nights in which I was too hot or my heart was racing to sleep.
So I got a really cool book from a tiny used bookstore downtown several months ago, and it's huge and full of nutritional prescriptions. It's basically a big reference guide to what vitamins, minerals, herbs, and foods have been scientifically proven to be effective in the treatment of certain conditions. The symptoms of anxiety, while possibly just genetic, have also been seen popping up with certain deficiencies...namely omega 3 and 6's and several vitamins and minerals. Among the recommendations were chamomile tea, as well.
So I mixed up my own concoction of foods and herbs that supplements some of the nutrients that could play a role in anxiety. If you're curious, they include:
vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, zinc, B vitamins, and essential fatty acids, among others.

 I don't recommend drinking this in the morning or before you go to work or driving anywhere, as chamomile tea can make some people drowsy.

Anxie-tea

Basically, this is a simple tea blend made up of two parts chamomile tea to one part dried lavender flowers. To make one cup (8 oz.) of tea:

1 tbsp. loose-leaf chamomile tea
1/2 tbsp. dried lavender flowers

Steep in steaming hot water for 3 minutes. Add honey if you want.

Anxie-tea Smoothie

8 oz. Anxie-tea, cooled.
1/2 cup ice
1 1/2 cups frozen cherries (vitamin C, magnesium)
1 whole, frozen banana (potassium, B vitamins)
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (calcium)
3 tbsp ground flaxseed (magnesium, EFA's)
3 tbsp hulled, unsalted, raw sunflower seeds (magnesium, selenium, vitamin E, B vitamins, and zinc)
2 tbsp honey

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Now, the taste is pretty much strawberry and banana with a slight herbal-iness from the tea. I think it tastes sort of like you blended up a parfait with the granola. This recipe makes about 28 oz., so you can share it with someone or drink it all as a meal replacement.

Please note: This is not a cure or treatment for anxiety or panic-related disorders. If you're on any type of prescription medication, check your labels and with your doctor before using herbal supplements to avoid negative side effects. If the symptoms you're experiencing are effecting your quality of life at all, please talk to someone or see a professional! The recipes provided have helped me with my own physical anxiety symptoms (lack of appetite, mild insomnia, and racing heart), so I wanted others to be able to benefit from them, as well. Enjoy! :)